In the Beginning
by Elissa Alejandra
Summary: Every story has a beginning. Sarah Williams is completely taken away from her home and faces a new world of deceit, betrayal, power, and greed. But through it all, she is not alone, but love will be the most powerful force she must face alone.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** GRRR!!! I'm never happy with this! I keep switching back and forth. It turns out I didn't have enough to go on with Solace. So I'm going back to In The Beginning. Apologies…

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth or Merlin.

**In the beginning… **

There was no beginning, and there was no end. There is neither light nor dark, there was no time only being, and there is neither here nor there. At the center, it beckoned, called for action and transformation. No words were spoken, no thoughts were needed.

It was here it began…

She was enveloped in darkness and a strange feeling of unease began to creep into her skin. She felt her body rising and felt her arms and legs bend and twist. No, it wasn't her limbs twisting, it was her mind; her mind that wouldn't allow her body to wake. She felt her arms extending out in front of her, her hands were reaching out into the darkness, but it was to keep her away from the unease that was coming closer and closer. Her body desperately wanted to stay back from it, but her mind was struggling to go forward. Her inner-being was forcing her towards that unease, towards that fearful, unknown darkness smothering her now on all sides.

Her breathing was becoming short from the body fighting to stay where it was; she couldn't hold on much longer; her mind was becoming strained from the constant effort to keep it, and the physical body, intact. The darkness was closing in around her and the unease she had felt earlier was now terror. If she did not stop the struggle within her soon, she would become completely drained and perhaps permanently mentally damaged from the enormous pressure and strain she was experiencing in that small moment. Finally, she forced her body to relax and let her mind carry her to wherever it needed to go. She was being pulled through the darkness at a sickening speed and she realized the terror she had been faced with was the fear of the unknown her mind body hadn't experienced before. But her mind knew it and she let it take her entire being deep into the black void.

She was not only taken from her home, but Sarah Williams was taken completely away from her world.


	2. Night Falls

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Labyrinth or Merlin

* * *

It was difficult to open her eyes much less move her limbs. She was completely drained mentally and physically; and completely covered in darkness. It wrapped itself around her but she could sense it was damp and cold, instead of warm and comforting. The first thing she could actually feel was an icy wet clinging to her skin. She could breathe, but it was ragged and forced. And as she drew one sharp breath after another, a deep sharp intake of damp air filled her nostrils.

Her body was shaking from the bitter cold and her wet skin. She was freezing and she could barely keep herself breathing. Her body was too numb for her mind to panic; all she could feel throughout her whole being was cold, mind-numbing cold. She felt herself helplessly succumbing deeper into the dark wet smothering her.

Still shaking, she felt the ground beneath her body tremble just slightly, almost matching her violent reaction. And as if on instinct, she flattened her body stiffly. She was still shaking but she could feel something crawl slowly up her arms, legs, and sides. It was cold at first but gradually became a tolerable heat. Something from the earth was reaching out to her on all sides, it wasn't smothering her or swallowing her whole, but it felt as if a ray of golden warmth was actually wrapping itself around her body. It was tender, comforting, and thawed every bone in her frozen body. Her breathing became normal again and gradually her shivering turned into a slight tremble.

Her trembling finally subsided and she slowly eased into the soothing warmth her body was now exposed to. The smell of fresh and cool air overpowered her senses, and she could hear the soft ringing of small bells beside her. So close to her and yet it seemed to be so far away.

A warm touch on her face lifted her out of the harsh darkness. Sunlight began to seep through her eyelids, almost forcing her out of her weary daze. She broke through her exhaustion and was warm and aware enough now to finally open her eyes.

It took time for her eyes to adjust to the soft light; eventually she was able to make out her surroundings to an extent. She lay in a small clearing of soft grass and damp earth. Tall trees softly swaying with the morning air slightly managed to shade her from the sunlight. Small birds flew in between the lush branches, chittering away. But the sound of their songs seemed strange somehow. It was louder and clearer than it had ever been before; nevertheless, the sound was a beautiful melody to her numb ears.

She took a few deep breaths before she slowly, painfully tried to raise her head. A stabbing pain in her skull took hold of her, and proceeded to travel down her neck and through her spine. A sickening moan escaped her lips as she thrust her fist to her throbbing head.

She squeezed her eyes shut and managed to bring her elbows up into a resting position, supporting her upper body with what strength she had in her arms. She was still exhausted physically, but her mind was awake and something kept telling her to stay alert and not to lie back down. The pain passed slowly, and she groaned again as she held her head in her right hand before she looked down at herself.

Covering her body was a long, thick tunic of dark green with a coarse circling her waist. It nearly went below her knees but a pair of sturdy, brown boots were placed on her feet and rose to just below her kneecap. Curious, she reached down slowly and flipped up just the hem of the tunic to find a pair of thick trousers on her legs. Each piece of clothing was comfortably and surprisingly warm.

She was still too weak to fully stand on her feet and stayed sitting where she was for what seemed like hours. She looked out ahead of her and saw a beautiful U-shaped valley not too far from her. The morning mist was just beginning to disappear from the bottom.

Sitting up a little bit more, she was able to recognize everything around her; the trees, the grass, the valley below her, and the hazy sky above her. She could hear the birds singing and the wind whistling softly. The sun behind the early morning clouds didn't provide much warmth, whereas the clothes she was wearing did.

She blinked once, twice, three times. Where on earth was she? She had never been here before, how did she get here? She couldn't remember…

Then something terrifying dawned on her, something that scared her right to the core. "_…no…"_

She didn't even know who she was!

She was beginning to feel nauseous. Her head started to spin. "_No!" _she thought, her thoughts a mixture of fear and anxiety. "_I can't remember!"_

Her heart began to beat faster and she felt panic rising to her clenched throat. She was fighting the tears in her eyes and when they did fall on her cheeks, she slapped them away. She had nowhere to go, no one to go to, she didn't even know her own name.

"_What am I going to do?"_ she thought pitifully.

She was scared, helplessly scared. So she allowed her tears to flow freely. She wept pitifully while she hugged her knees to her chest.

She kept repeating the words in her head. _ "I_ _don't know, I don't know, I don't know…"_

She was lost and completely panic stricken. She had nowhere to go… she couldn't remember anything that had happened to her up until that moment. A heavy feeling of loss weighed upon her, and it almost crushed her.

Then, the wind started to pick up, and it breathed a bit of life into the leaves of the forest. She felt the cool wind on her back and for a moment, it had comforted her. Her shoulders stopped heaving and her tears became less. She slowed her breathing and let the wind flow through her hair and on her neck. It was so soothing, to feel the cool breath of air on her face and in her long, dark hair. The wind caressed her and calmed her, just as the Earth had done moments before. She closed her eyes and listened carefully to each rustle of each leaf, in each blade of grass.

"…go…" it whispered. "…the lake…"

Her eyes flew open. Had she heard a voice speaking to her? She took in her surroundings once more, but there was nothing here but forest and sky.

Still a little shaky, she rose to her feet and took a moment or so to balance properly on her two delicate feet. She stared ahead and looked down at the valley below her. It was a beautiful wide valley, with a new hazy mist coming down from the edges of the hills.

The wind picked up again, and this time instead of a whisper among the trees, it felt as if it were pushing her from behind. Slight, sporadic thrusts of wind blew at her back.

"_The mist_," she thought. "_There_ _must be water nearby. Maybe there is a lake_."

At this last thought the wind began pushing even harder.

She realized then that she really was alone in this foreign world. She knew she would have to depend on her herself, on her wits, to get by anywhere or talk through anyone to survive.

It was a terrifying thought, but as she made her way down into the valley, the wind continued to blow through the trees and into her hair, sending slight chills through her body. But it caressed her skin like silk, she had never felt a wind like that, and she took a strange comfort in it.

* * *

She walked down into the U-shaped valley, through the wet grass and thick shrubs. Treading carefully and picking every loose hanging branch away from her face. She was still very apprehensive about her surroundings and kept her footsteps and her breathing at a slow and quiet pace. Thankfully, her boots had managed to keep the mud and water from seeping to her feet.

Still carefully watching her steps, she gazed up at the sky above her. The sun was still hiding behind the clouds and it didn't look like it would be coming out anytime soon. Gray clouds were coming in from her right and looked alarmingly low. If she were going to find something here she had better find it fast before the rains came.

It looked as if the source of the mist she had been following came from beyond a large hill just ahead of her. There seemed to be very few trees up on the top of the hill, and if anything, would provide a better vantage point for her if she were to find any shelter. She did not want to be caught deep in the valley when it started to rain. With that, she quickened her steps and began her ascent up.

* * *

He sat in the dark, brooding. Sitting on his window ledge during the dead of night seemed to be a frequent pastime as of late, although not a very pleasant one.

He had been deeply troubled and anxious the entire day. This morning was something he would have liked to forget about entirely.

It came gradually at first, like a soft wind seeping through the windows of his castle. The sensation he felt was at first peaceful and warm; a calm he had not experienced in a very long time. Then the frost came; an icy foreboding that hit him like a tidal wave. His body trembled in fear and he almost lost his entire self-control. Chills spread over his skin and his mind became blurry and weak. Never in his entire existence had he ever experienced something this pleasant and in a flash, was almost too painful to bear.

Perhaps his cousin had been right. It may have been a sign, a warning that his time was coming to an end, just like all other creatures like him. But there was that nagging throb in the back of his head. It wasn't exactly a feeling, it was a presence. It was her. The only problem was he hadn't the slightest idea who she was.

After the cold apprehension had passed, he felt a distinctly feminine presence, her essence, envelop around him. Although it was not unpleasant, it was not exactly welcome. Never had a presence such as this swept through his body, his surroundings, so easily, and so powerfully. It throbbed in his head and beat at his heart. This woman was strong, he could feel it.

It scared him and thrilled him all at the same time. But his crystals would show him nothing. It was as if she were being hidden from him deliberately.

As much as he hated to, he would call on his cousin tonight. Perhaps she may have an answer.

The Goblin King did not like it in the least. He had to find her, had to find this existence that seemed so powerful to him, and yet so precious.

* * *

She lay in a dark gloom, the chill of the night air starting to seep through the lining of her clothes, which had also become soaked by the rain. She had failed in searching for a lake. A lake? What madness had overtaken her this morning thinking she had heard a voice on the wind? It was probably nothing more than the result of fatigue, the cold, hunger... All of those things she was feeling quite distinctly at the moment.

The storm had come quicker than she had expected. Loose dirt on the hillside had turned into slick mud almost instantly. She had tried crawling on hands and knees up the rise, but to no avail. She had lost her footing and as a result, tumbled back down the hill and into a deep puddle of mud and rainwater. Through her sobs of frustration, she managed to crawl out of the pond of mud. She almost slipped back down each time she tried to climb back up the embankment, but managed to tread along the edge of the rising water.

She felt mud slither into her boots, up into her arms, and into her hair. She stared down at herself and groaned. She was covered from head to foot in mud and dirty water. Her boots were covered in about an inch of muck. Her tunic and blouse underneath were sticking to her like a second skin. Fortunately, the rain was keeping the mud in her hair from drying into chunks. If that was a fortunate side.

Finally, after about a mile of walking along the muddy valley floor, she found a large, overhanging tree along an easy slope. It provided a modest amount of shelter from the rain, and at the moment, the girl was grateful for any kind of protection.

She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, and pressed herself up against the trunk of the tree, shivering from the cold of the storm.

This is how she stayed for the past few hours; days it seemed to her. Endless hours in the dark of night, and with nothing but the wind and rain to keep her company. The sky began to gray, which meant that dawn would be here soon, but hunger and fatigue began to settle into her body; along with fear. She stayed hunched over in a pit where the tree's root had been exposed the whole of the night. The rain continued to soak her arms and legs, and streak stray mud over her hair and face. Through it all, she wept. She wept until she could no longer tell if it were the rain or her tears that streamed down her face.

She wept until she heard thunder rolling in the bleak, morning sky. But the distant thunder came with voices, men's voices. Her head shot up and she ran her hands quickly over her face to remove the excess of mud and tears. At first, she saw nothing but the hills choked with hard rain, then she caught sight of a dark cloud rising over the far hill just ahead of her. The cloud ran along the top of the ridge and steadily broke apart to reveal a mass of horses with their riders. There were only about ten horses riding together, but she kept close to the tree, hoping that maybe their riders would not see her.

She watched fearfully as three of the riders stopped in their tracks and broke away from the group. They turned their horses in her direction and shouted back to their comrades in indistinct voices. One rider had pointed directly at her.

They had seen her! They had seen the girl crouched beneath the tree hiding from the riders. One of the men from the bigger group shouted something to the other three, and two of the three men began to walk their horses toward her. The men continued to shout at each other in strangely blurred voices. She couldn't understand what they were saying to each other, it was like water had plugged her ears and everything that was said, she heard as a muffle.

She was too frightened to move. She held her breath as the men on horses came closer. They wore dark and hefty clothing, rounded helmets were placed on their heads, and worst of all… they were all heavily armed. She felt her heart beat like a sledgehammer against her ribs. Men. Strange men on tall horses with their weapons close by, coming closer… Her body began to feel feverishly hot, despite the cold rain.

She did the only thing she could think of. She ran.

She ran back down to the valley as fast as her tired legs would carry her. She heard the men's voices behind her; still very unclear. She ran until she felt her lungs would burst, and her limbs began to ache, but the voices were coming closer. She heard the tremor of the horses' hooves as if they were beneath her. All the while, her heart beat in a furious frenzy, more from fright than from the chase. She stumbled forward, her foot catching against something. The stumble turned into that of a fall, hands reaching forward to catch herself before she crashed to the ground.

She never felt the impending impact of her fall. Everything went black.

* * *

The King of the Goblins waited in the shadows, an eerie glow surrounded his cloaked form as he leaned casually against one of the stone pillars. He summoned his cousin here to this ring of stones. He did not allow her to come into his kingdom, that was his territory, and she reluctantly obeyed. He would like to think that they were equals, a King of Goblins and a Queen of Fairies. But she was also the Mistress of Magic, the High Queen, whether he liked it or not, she had had more power than he ever did. This also meant she had the power to make him wait. He waited for a whole day, and he finally received her message that she would meet him here tonight.

The air began to shift slightly. There was a brief but intense throb in the air itself before a pulsing light blinded his vision. The pillar of rock directly across from where he stood began to crumple and fold into itself before it stretched to its full height again. As it expanded, a dark figure emerged from the stone itself. The dark figure was a woman dressed in black and midnight blue, much like he was, complete with a dark cloak flowing down her back. Her hair was a dark black done halfway pulled upon her head, while his was golden blonde falling in long, loose spikes around his shoulders and halfway down his back; a sharp contrast to his dark attire.

She smiled when she saw him, and spoke in her otherworldly voice. "Jareth."

He regarded her coolly in turn. "Mab."

"Have you reconsidered?" she asked, with a slight twitch of her head.

"No."

Her smile immediately dropped.

"However, if you will be willing to help me with a slight problem, then there is a possibility I may join your cause."

"A possibility?" Mab asked, rather annoyed. She hated her cousin's shrewd arrogance.

"Yes." He walked out of the shadows toward her. "I've come across something rather interesting, although I am not quite sure what it is." He stopped in the center of the ring of stones. "If you would help me, or perhaps could even tell me what this is yourself; then I will reconsider. We do make powerful allies, as you yourself have told me many times before."

Mab smiled again, but with deep resentment. The Goblin King had always been cruel. He never helped anyone, or had even asked for it unless it was in his best interest. For the past forty years she had asked, even begged for Jareth, the Goblin King's help in the war against the new religion. Her world was dying, her followers were abandoning her. Soon, everything she ruled over, all of the power she once had would be gone forever. In the end, she would die. She tried for years, even up until just recently for his help. She had tried to make him see that he would be forgotten, just like her. His kingdom, his goblins, even the sacred Labyrinth the Fae fought hard to protect would disappear.

She regarded the lack of expression on Jareth's face with a mixture of triumph and suspicion. She and Jareth were never really close, even though they had been kin for as long as she could remember, it had just always been that way. And Jareth was a lesser Fae as far as she was concerned, although he would have begged to differ knowing his arrogance.

Nevertheless, Mab's defenses were now put on guard because of Jareth's sudden interest in her cause. In the end, she knew she would be forced to help him, but it would be on her terms without him even knowing.

Queen Mab moved away from the rock pillar closer to her cousin. "Well then," she said smiling again, "what is it you want to know?"

Jareth flinched before answering. "I felt something today, something unnatural. A presence that will not show itself to me."

Mab raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Someone has been hidden from me. I can feel her presence, but my crystals show me nothing." Jareth's eyes darkened with each passing word, with each breath. "I wonder if you are still capable of finding a protected soul."

"How interesting that your crystals are no longer working for you," she replied without missing a beat. "_And a protected soul?_" she thought. "_There hasn't been one of those in centuries. And it is a woman, or perhaps a girl? I suppose it doesn't matter to him…_"

"Find her." Jareth made a fluid gesture with his wrist. At the tip of fingers rested a perfect, crystal ball. "And be quick." He tossed the ball at her unceremoniously.

If she could, Mab would have struck him down effortlessly for speaking to her like that. Like a peasant! And then throwing one of _his _crystals to her… But her power was waning and Jareth knew; he also knew she would help him regardless. Mab caught the crystal upper-hand. As soon as she did she threw it at the stone pillar behind her. It smashed into tiny pieces.

"Truly, we need to spend more time together." She had seen the black look on his face. However, she certainly could not look into one of his crystals, it was not her magic. She had to break apart his magic against one of her pillars of rock to form a new crystal; one that was raw and primal, one that held part of her own magic. She could not look into something beneath her, and the Goblin King certainly was.

She held out her hand over the scattered shards of crystal and rock. The pieces trembled for a moment, and then began to bounce slightly as one. They jumped several times off the ground before they flew together into Mab's outstretched hand. "_That should not taken this long_," she thought scornfully as she tightened her hand to a fist.

She extended her slim fingers and in the palm of her hand was a glittering cluster of pure crystal and gray rock. "_Much better_."

She did not need a crystal in order to _see_. The rock of the Earth Herself would open her mind's eye and allow her to see anything she wanted. Anything…

"Aaah," she breathed as she took in the image before her. It had indeed taken longer for her magic to form and expand, but she could still manage; more so than others. "_He would love to see this, wouldn't he?_" She blew softly on the rock in her hand and let the ensuing dust seep through her fingers.

She turned back to Jareth, who was looking truly dangerous, but Mab refused to be intimidated. She was Queen of the Sidhe, the Old Ways! She gazed back at the pathetic King of the Goblins, her eyes holding triumph.

"Your answer lies in Camelot."

* * *

Thank you to Anij and Kut Anime Kitty - ever the faithful reviewers. Again, I'm sorry for Solace.

Shalom y Amor


	3. Merlin

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth or Merlin

* * *

She heard voices in the dark, men's voices. No... The men! She tried to wake but was much too weary to open her eyes. She drifted in and out of darkness, hearing only the voices all around her. She finally felt herself being pulled over and down, then being painfully held up by a pair of rough hands. Something jerked her head up and now she was completely alert looking up at her captors. She stifled a scream at the sight of men surrounding her on all sides, leering at her. Then she saw an old woman behind the group of restless men. A beautiful, old woman with soft and gentle features; and even from a distance she was able to see the deepest pair of blue eyes staring directly at her.

She saw the old woman push her way through the men. The woman began to yell at the one holding her up, but with the same inaudible voice. The older woman paused for a moment glaring at her captor, and in a flash the woman reached out and struck the man holding her. In that moment of fitful excitement, the girl fell into blackness again.

Ianna wiped the last of the mud off of the pale brow of the sleeping girl. "There we are," she said to herself. After all of these years, she was still a damn good healer. She could still set a cast and wrap a bandage faster than any of the younger women here. But she took great care with each of her patients. From the filthiest and harshest of men to this frail, unconscious girl she was tending to. She cared for them with her experienced, aged hands.

The healer woman was careful to avoid the bruises on the girl's bare skin, and she made sure each cut; each scratch was clean and bandaged. But she felt a brief rush of anger as she dipped her cloth back in a bowl of water. The mere thought of her harsh arrival made her old blood run hot.

* * *

She rose before the sun did, like she did every morning to gather her herbs and fetch clean water, although it had become increasingly harder for her each day. Camelot had been home ever since her king had ordered those still residing in Pendragon Castle to relocate. He had wanted a new, golden city of truth and justice. And it had become so, even in his absence.

Ianna let her aide, Keely, sleep in. She liked to do the morning chores by herself, and she preferred to greet the Sun each morning with no suspicious looks in her direction. She heard the horses coming before she saw the riders charge in through the gate. "_More useless news_," she thought bitterly. "_Our King will not return until his God himself tells him to._"

The company rode in single file and she recognized each of them even with the helmets on their heads. But there was something strange about the company this time; they had brought something with them. She made her way to the main gate to get a better look. Someone was thrown carelessly over the back of one of the pack horses, tied with the other supplies as if the person was a sack of grain. The riders stopped at the main entrance and proceeded to untie their supplies as well as the limp body with them. She nearly dropped all of her herbs at what she saw.

A girl!

They had a young girl with them, no more than eighteen years. But tied like a worthless sack to one of their pack horses. She saw one of the men drag her down by the arms over the horse's back and hold her up for the other young men to see. The dazed girl was slumped in his arms, filthy to be sure, covered in mud from hair to boot. The young men wanted a better look at their prize, thus the man holding her grabbed a fistful of long, dark hair and jerked her head back. The girl had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a time, but now she stared up in wide-eyed horror at her captors.

That was all Ianna needed to see. She pushed her way through the crowd of men with her free arm. A few were shocked to see a typically gentle woman shove her way through a pack of young men, while others already felt a punishment coming their way.

She was old, but her voice was unwavering and held the authority of a queen. "Animals! All of you! You call yourselves young men of honor! I call you all swines for this sort of treatment, and to a lady!

The young man holding the girl laughed out loud. "Come, old woman we were just having some fun before we give her away."

Ianna's voice became deathly cold. "To whom?"

He winked at the others. "Sir Boris might like her."

The other boyos laughed but Ianna abruptly dropped her things. The boy looked up too late, startled as her hand flew against his cheek. He swallowed once, downing his surprise before looking up at her with a considerably humiliated stare.

The frightened girl in his arms collapsed and fell limp.

"Give her to me," Ianna ordered.

The young man was still too stunned at her sudden burst of violence, it was honestly the first time any of them had seen a calm woman like Ianna strike anyone.

"Are you hard of hearing, boy? I said give her to me!" Ianna reached out and began to pry the girl out of the shocked man's arms when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ianna…" a calm voice said behind her.

She continued to try and pull the girl away while addressing the man behind her without turning. "Cael, the lack of decency on the part of your boys tarnishes your own reputation. See how they treat this poor girl."

The older man stretched his arm across Ianna and pulled her away. "It's alright," his blue eyes bore down unto the boy. "Let me deal with Boris and the others. I've already reported. Finish unpacking our things – now."

At this last command, the young men scattered. Cael walked with a limp, but he was still in his prime. He could beat any one of these young bucks into a bloody mess. But despite his powerfully built appearance he was extremely careful with this frail girl. He gingerly took her in his arms.

"Put her head up," Ianna ordered. Cael shifted her upper body a bit until she settled neatly with her head tucked against his shoulder. "Follow me," she said, satisfied.

He courteously obeyed. Ianna had helped him with a little problem he was having with his wife in the marriage bed several years ago. He owed Ianna a lot.

* * *

Ianna was just about finished putting a fresh linen robe on the sleeping girl. She turned to the servant girl behind her. "Keely, more blankets if you will." The skinny, young girl rushed to the other side of the room.

Ianna turned back to her work and proceeded to put the girl's right arm through the sleeve when she noticed a peculiar stain on her wrist. "_I could not have missed a spot,_" she thought. She turned her arm to get a closer look. "Oh dear," she whispered. A spot of dirt would have been one hundred times better than what she found on the girl's bare skin.

On the inside of her right wrist was a faint, but visible mark of three lines. The two outer lines stretched out and over, with the middle line curving upward, forming a sort of flower pattern. The most disturbing part of the markings was found lying beneath the flower. Two triangles, one facing up and the other facing downward, forming the Star of David – a sign of a Jew. "A Diaspora Jew," she whispered. "_How did she end up in Britannia? And this flower… so strange…_"

Keely had arrived back with the blankets just then, and Ianna hurriedly placed the girl's arm through the sleeve and rushed to meet the servant girl.

"Here." Ianna reached for the blankets, blocking the girl from the sight of her sleeping patient. "Hand them over."

The sound of clay shattering on the floor startled them both and Ianna jumped around to find her seemingly frail patient standing upright, looking ready to flee.

Ianna tried to stay calm. A frightened young lady would not do well running about the castle grounds like a headless chicken. "_And with that mark_," she thought. "It's alright, girl." She started to advance slowly, but the girl had her arms outstretched and she stepped back with each step Ianna took towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

At that, the dark-haired girl flailed her arms and stumbled out of panic. She whipped around trying to find a way out, until she found a small door behind her.

"Be still," Ianna cried. But the girl had already rushed away. She fell against the door, flung it open, and ran out into the corridor. Ianna desperately tried to call her back while stepping her way through water and broken clay. But it was too late; the girl had disappeared down the dimly lit corridor.

* * *

It seemed as if centuries had passed till she finally felt warm sunshine on her face again. Light crept into her eyelids and forced them open with a start. Now where was she? It was someplace new and strange, with walls that seemed to close in around her. She was clean and dressed in a white linen robe, but panic began to flow into her again.

"_No! No more!"_ She screamed in her head, and with that she flew off the cot she was lying on unto the cold, stone floor; effectively knocking down a clay jar that had been next to her feet. She was able to stand on her feet but when she looked up she saw two pairs of anxious eyes staring at her. _Blue eyes…_ she remembered the old woman staring at her earlier this morning.

The same woman began to advance towards her, trying to soothe her with… what? More muffled, incoherent voices! It was like being completely submerged in water, with the voices barely heard above the surface. It both infuriated and completely terrified her.

She thought she could survive yesterday morning; that she could withstand whatever misfortune came her way. She walked into that valley with her head held high, even without a memory or a name. She had that fire inside of her that burned brightly with strength and confidence. But at this moment, she felt completely defeated. After spending the entire day and night in a cold storm without food and shelter, and then the terrifying ordeal with the men, and now faced with two more strangers... that was it. She was broken. Broken and defeated. She was now suddenly aware that she was exhausted, starving, and very alone.

The old woman advanced on her and for a moment, she was frozen to the spot. Her body suddenly convulsed and in a fit of panic, whipped around violently trying to find a way out. She found a small door behind her, ran towards it, threw it open and ran out within a matter of seconds. She could still hear the woman calling for her, but what use would it do if she couldn't even understand anything anyone was saying?

She ran from corridor to corridor, dodging confused-looking strangers and making every attempt possible to stay as far away from armored men as she could. She ran up and down staircases in her bare feet and passing door after window wearing only her white robe. Until she finally reached a smaller corridor which seemed to be tucked away from the rest of the castle. She flung open the door that was hidden in the corner, and hurriedly slipped inside the room. As soon as she was inside she slammed the door shut and rested her forehead against the wood; holding back her tears as she tried to catch her breath.

She whipped around hearing, or rather _feeling_ someone behind her. The room she found herself in was well-lit by sunlight coming in through the highest window. In the center of the room she saw the silhouette of a man. His back was turned to her and he seemed to be very preoccupied in whatever he was doing because he apparently did not even hear her rush in.

She watched him for a few moments, knowing that he didn't hear her. Should she run again? No. She was tired of running. Besides, where could a girl without a name go? She was a stranger in an equally strange place. She had no memory of family, friends, places, people… She sank to the ground, hugged her knees to her chest and just watched the man, with his back turned to her.

But just as she sat to watch him work, he raised his head as if he finally knew she was present. He couldn't have heard her. Did he feel her here in this room? Like she did him moments ago…

He turned his head to look at her. What she saw in his face took her breath away, and she rose slowly to her feet again. Something happened then between the two of them. She felt the whole room become suddenly illuminated, or perhaps it was because of the comforting warmth she now felt in her heart, something very similar to what she had experienced yesterday morning. And it all came from him.

He was a strong built, middle-aged man with sandy brown hair and the kindest face she had seen yet. His eyes seemed to glow when he saw her, but she also saw a deep sadness hidden there, just below the surface. His shoulders were broad, but he also looked crushed, like he was trying to hold the entire weight of the castle itself upon them.

He smiled. And his smile! The room did indeed become brighter. "Hello."

She had to put both hands on the door to hold herself up. She heard him! She could understand his words; his wonderful, beautiful words. It felt as if she had finally emerged from beneath the watery surface.

Although she was relieved, even thrilled to hear his voice, she did not move from her spot.

His face held concern. "You seem to be lost. I don't think I've seen you here before."

Still she did not speak or even move; only stood staring at his seemingly radiant form. He began to walk towards her, but abruptly stopped when she cowered back. "It's alright." He tilted his head and smiled again. "My name is Merlin." A brief moment went by. "Do you have one?"

Still nothing. She only looked… and listened.

And it was looking into those dark, wary eyes of hers that Merlin realized he would have to do most of the talking. "Well," he started, "in any case, you look as if you hadn't slept in days much less eaten anything." He turned back to his worktable, looking it up and down until he found and reached over to a small pile of seeds in the far corner. He took a small pinch and gently spread them over a small bowl. He then proceeded to wave his hand over it, and as his hand passed over the contents a second time a small breath of steam drifted above it.

Picking up the bowl, he slowly made his way to the corner where the girl had cowered into. He thankfully noticed that she didn't flinch as he moved towards her. She didn't blink either, but he did not want to frighten her any further. He stood an arm's length away from her and offered the small bowl to her. "Drink this," he said softly, "broth with dill seeds. You don't want anything solid right now, and the seeds will help ease any hunger pains you may have. "

The dark haired girl still eyed him warily for a moment, but every inch of her body was telling her that everything was all right, that this man was to be trusted. But he was still a stranger…

Merlin had seemed to sense her inner conflict. "If you want me to, I can just leave it here on the floor until you're ready to drink it." He smiled and tilted his head again. "If you want it to get cold that is, and this is not at all as delicious when it's cold."

She wasn't hungry, she was starving, and at that she slowly reached out for the bowl.

Merlin didn't move a muscle as she took the bowl into her trembling fingers. He only watched as she put the bowl to her lips, tasted the contents, and proceeded to drink much more rapidly than he would have expected.

The broth wasn't tasteful, but it wasn't bad either; and when she was finished, she watched him over the rim of the bowl, silently begging for more.

"Here," he said, reaching out, "I'll give you some more."

She flinched a bit as he reached out for the bowl, but she didn't cower away from him. She let him take the bowl from her fingers, and as his hands grazed hers, both of their eyes flew open in amazement at the current that passed between them.

Merlin knew that the power he held in his hands would have some effect on whomever he touched. He simply had not expected to be thrown off balance by the power flowing back at him from the girl shrinking away in the corner. It took him a few moments to steady himself again, but the girl seemed as if nothing had happened just now. In fact, she looked a little calmer than she had a few moments ago.

In his whole life of being a half-mortal, a sorcerer, he had never felt that current of power before. Something similar to it perhaps, but there was only one person he experienced that with. And that was love, true love; a passionate loyalty that went far beyond words.

This was calm, tender, and loving. But it was the love felt for others, the love of family and friendships, for people… this was something he had not felt in a long time. But the energy he felt that came with it was far more powerful then anything he had ever experienced. Even in his training. This revelation had actually frightened him, a power so strong coming from this scared, young girl. But who in the name of hell was she? He supposed he would know sooner or later, he would consult his books, perhaps meditate on it. For now there was a stranger whom needed to be taken care of.

Seeing that she was not troubled by what had just happened between them, he took the bowl from her and went back to his worktable to prepare another helping of broth and dill seeds. He waved his hands over the bowl once again, and when he gave it back to her, she took it without hesitancy, even when she had seen what he had done… waving his hands, using magic to warm the broth.

"_She must be hungry indeed_," he thought. "_No one here would have taken something from me so easily. But she is so obviously not from here_."

The girl finished her second helping and stepped out of the shadows into the sunlight, curious to see what was outside of his window. Now that she was in the light, Merlin was able to see her more clearly. What a beautiful young girl she was! Her long, ebony hair deeply, but beautifully, contrasted with her pale skin. A night sky pillowed in the moonlight of her skin. There was a hint of a child still left in her, especially in her expression, and when she craned her neck to look out the window he did indeed see more of a little girl then he did of a young woman. Her eyes became wider and her mouth nearly dropped, she was completely fascinated by the sight that greeted her.

He came to her side and slowly took the finished bowl from her. Again, she didn't flinch when he came near her; a huge relief on his part. "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it? When the sunlight hits this lake just right, it's almost like, well magic." He smiled as he spoke this last word.

But she still did not answer him, and he was not sure if it was from the present scenery she seemed to be entranced with, or is she indeed could not speak at all.

Seeing her shiver, Merlin picked up a fur-lined robe from a chair and draped it gently over her shoulders. Her eyes skimmed over the robe he had given her, and then were slowly raised to meet his own. Looking into those innocent eyes of hers he felt a sudden wave of fierce protection, an abrupt calling, an almost frightening passion to protect this fragile creature at any cost necessary. A king protecting his country, a farmer with his land, a man with his family, a father with his child; that is how he felt looking down at that lovingly pure face of hers. And then she did something that broke him completely.

She smiled. And just like that, he was completely hers.

She held his eyes for a few moments, and then her gaze drifted past his shoulder to something standing behind him. She tucked the robe closely around her and silently walked past him, her curiosity now shifting to something completely different.

On top of a pedestal draped in sunlight was a polished wooden statue of a lion. A lion that seemed to look right at her, and that beckoned to her. She stood in front of it and studied his daunting form carefully. His face was frozen in a silent roar, and he stood with his front paw raised as if ready to claw. But he still seemed to look straight at her, into her eyes. But he was a statue of smooth, polished wood; his claws and eyes inlaid with gold. His features were carved so perfectly that she could have sworn he was inside that wood. She went right up to the effigy until she was face to face with him, and looked it up and down, taking in every detail, studying each marking. He looked so powerful, so formally regal; an ever-present stubborn arrogance evident in those eyes. Eyes that seemed to penetrate even from within the gold-laden wood. They seemed real, glowing, boring into hers as she looked into them. She suddenly had the irresistible urge to lift her fingers to the face and touch it. Giving in, she ran her hands and fingertips over the mane, the eyes, and over each fang.

Merlin quietly walked up to her side, completely taken by her childlike innocence; though she didn't seem to mind him watching her, she was much too absorbed with the powerful wooden effigy in front of her. As she moved her right arm higher to touch the top waves of the lion's mane, the sleeve of both her robe and her gown slipped below her wrist, exposing the strange mark Ianna had noticed earlier; though the girl had no idea that a mark so bizarre was on her wrist in the first place.

Merlin had indeed noticed the lines of a flower and a Star of David, which was an obvious sign of a Jew. But why would a Jew tattoo their ethnicity and religion so blatantly on their wrist? And a flower? He would definitely consult his books tonight.

"This was brought here from Jerusalem, as a gift for the King." He rested his hand on the muscular shoulder of the lion. "Do you like it?"

She softly nodded her approval.

Merlin silently rejoiced at her response and paused briefly before continuing. "You don't have a name do you?" He kept his voice as calm and as gentle as possible.

She only looked at him, and made no answer.

Merlin took this as a no.

"_Then I shall give her one."_

"There is a name in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, it means lioness of God." He looked down into her green eyes for just a moment. "Ariella. It's a lovely name, isn't it?"

She seemed to struggle for a moment and made a small noise in the back of her throat before she blinked and shifted her gaze a bit and looked back up at him again. "Ariella?" Her voice was no more than a whisper.

Merlin smiled. "Your name is Ariella."

"_Ariella_…"

The name rolled off of her tongue so easily, and it sounded so warm coming from him, coming from Merlin.

A loud knocking was suddenly heard at the door, and Ariella immediately shrunk back behind the lion as if it would protect her. But Merlin calmly regarded her before he went to the door. "It's alright. No harm will come to you." He meant that with every ounce of his being.

He quickly went to the door, opened it and found a handsome, dark haired man staring back at him. "Cael," Merlin casually crossed his arms across his chest. "What can I do for you?"

"It seems we have a runaway about the castle grounds," Cael replied.

"Do you?" Merlin gave him a half-smile.

"Have you seen her? Ianna will have my head if I don't find her soon, and she wasn't quite specific about which head she would be hacking."

Merlin laughed quietly to himself. Ianna could be the most gentle and kind of women, but when it came to her patients, she took on the overprotective characteristics of a mother bear. "I have seen her."

Cael breathed a sigh of relief. "Is she here? She is safe…"

"She's fine. A bit on edge, but otherwise fine."

"I suppose some of that was my fault. I let my men get carried away." Merlin's face suddenly went deathly cold. Fortunately, Cael noticed. "Nothing happened I assure you. I would never let my men commit such acts. Ianna came just before I noticed anything."

Before Merlin could say a word, Ianna hurried up to Cael's side accompanied by another man. "Have you seen her?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes," Merlin replied calmly, "she is here, with me."

Both Cael and Ianna became still for a moment. Ianna straightened and without losing eye contact said, "Let me see her."

Merlin gave no reply, merely stepped aside to let her pass.

Ianna found the dark haired girl hiding behind the statue of the lion. She peered around a front claw, and almost moved towards her but her fear got the better of her and she shrunk back again.

Ianna turned back to Merlin. She looked at him with a countenance she hardly ever gave. Her eyes became almost black in color and her hair looked more silver than gray. Her lips were thin when she spoke. "Merlin, I need to speak with you." She walked right past him without saying another word.

Merlin looked to the girl before turning away. "I'll be back shortly. Don't run away." He smiled at her before he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Merlin then turned to Cael. "If you would keep watch, I would be grateful to you." Cael nodded before Merlin joined Ianna.

Both Merlin and Ianna stood facing each other in the shadows, the only source of light was a sunbeam from the other end of the hall.

"Have you seen it?" Ianna asked hurriedly.

Merlin crossed his arms. "I have. I've never seen anything like it before, both the flower and the Star."

"Peculiar to say the least." Ianna never lost eye contact and her face was like stone. "What will we do? I believe we are the only two who have seen it."

"She has not said a word to me. I've no idea who she is or where she's from. Given that, she's not safe anywhere outside of the castle grounds."

Ianna's eyes became even darker. "She's had quite a scare. It may take some time before she says anything at all. Not even a name?"

He hesitated before answering. "Ariella."

She took a rather deep breath. "And where will she stay? With you? I doubt the Queen would allow it."

"She needs seclusion now. I fear she may die of fright if she's forced to live with several other strangers."

"It will come in time." Her expression softened slightly. "I have seen that look before, Merlin. There's no mistaking it, you already care for this girl. I've seen that fierce look deep in your eyes before. Both in you and Ambrosia."

Merlin did not reply. But Ianna's eyes saw almost right through him. "She was my dearest friend…" She snapped back to her former expression. "We will take this matter to the Queen, the both of us. In the meantime, see that you do something about that mark." With that, Ianna hurried past him and disappeared down the hallway.

Merlin stood in his place for a long time after that.

* * *

A snow white owl stayed perched on a nearby tree branch looking into the window at the sleeping girl. This was her? This young thing was who he had feared so greatly the night before…

The Goblin King had rushed over to Camelot in the dead of night after his meeting with Queen Mab. He needed to see for himself. He needed to see who was powerful enough to hide from him; who was strong enough to send cold shivers down his spine without even knowing it.

And it was this girl who was doing it? Impossible. She still seemed just a child. Her dark hair was strewn wildly about her face and pillow, and her pink mouth was slightly open as she slept. She was quite beautiful and in her sleep she seemed even lovelier. This angered Jareth even more, a young girl to do this to him; and no idea as to who she was. He at least knew a girl before he took them; he knew what they were really like beneath the skin, sometimes they were innocent and he broke them, sometimes they were cruel like him, and he broke them just as easily.

But this girl intrigued him beyond reason. He could not see who she really was. Was she cruel or innocent, or was she simply clever enough for the Fae's tricks? Somehow none of that mattered much looking down at her…

"_No!"_ He literally shook his feathers out of frustration. Not wanting to linger anymore, he spread his wings and flew back to his castle.

He would have changed to his human form and taken her the minute he flew into Camelot, but Merlin was a powerful wizard too, and there were rules to abide by. Rules that would need twisting…

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to Anij, Midnight Lady, and notwritten. Sorry Kute Anime Kitty - one more chapter, but thanks!

Shalom y Amor


	4. Audience with the Queen

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Labyrinth or Merlin.

* * *

Keely fastened the bronze brooch at the top of Ariella's shoulder, securing the smooth folds of golden yellow draped along her body. Ariella looked down at herself and smoothed out the soft silken material unconsciously. "There," Keely smiled, "pretty as a sunbeam."

Ariella said nothing in return, only continued to smooth out her gown and combed hair.

Keely clasped Ariella's hands in her own. "Now don't fret. The Queen is kind and Sir Lancelot is just. They will know what to do." The young blonde wasn't particularly pretty, and was in fact much too skinny, but she was kind to Ariella; almost treating her like a small child.

But Ariella did in fact behave like a child. For two days she had not said a word to anyone, not even to Merlin, and she absolutely refused to leave his side. When Ianna came back the first night to bring her back to her quarters, Ariella cried hysterically until she was finally allowed to stay in a makeshift loft, with Merlin sleeping directly below her. Merlin was readily unwilling to leave her alone after that.

When he was finally able to have an audience with both the Queen and Sir Lancelot, Ianna practically shoved him out of his own room in order to bathe Ariella. But when Ariella realized Merlin had left, she kicked and screamed and clawed; and Ianna had to have her aide, Keely, assist her. But even the two of them could not restrain her. She screamed and howled like a wild thing before Merlin finally came back to his room and stayed on the other side of a thick panel. The two women rinsed and scrubbed and combed the poor creature until Ianna was finally satisfied.

"Merlin," she warned when they were finished, "do not move an inch from your place."

Ariella let Keely hold her hands for a moment longer; she could see this thin girl was a sweet soul, but even so, she did not keep eye contact with her for long. Ever since she had had her first meeting with Merlin she was able to hear voices clearly now. It was almost as if Merlin had awakened something within her. Unfortunately, her confidence was still very short, and still very wary of people; she shrunk back and resumed to nervously fiddle with her gown. Keely sighed, tucked a few more corners here and there, and finally fixed the sleeves of her under gown, which ended at the palms of Ariella's hands.

Keely was specifically told by her mistress to tell no one of the mark on the dark haired girl's wrist. Keely readily obeyed, not only was she completely loyal to Ianna, but she genuinely liked this poor child standing before her. To her, Ariella really was a child and she really did not want anything bad to happen to her.

Keely was still smoothing out the folds of Ariella's gown when Merlin appeared in the doorway. Ariella immediately sensed his presence and looked up anxiously before he said a word.

"Is she finished, Keely?"

Keely made a small curtsey before answering, "Yes, Master Merlin."

Merlin held his hand out to Ariella. "Come. We can't keep the Queen waiting."

Ariella readily obeyed. Although she was only vaguely aware of what her present situation was. Her only real concern was staying as close to Merlin as possible. He was her guardian, her shield, the one person in this foreign world she completely trusted with her life.

This meeting with the Queen would either allow her to reside with Merlin or to be forced to move in with the other ladies of the castle; ladies who happened to be servants. Merlin was going to need all the diplomatic authority and charm he could muster; he could not bear the thought of his Ariella being taken from him, much less becoming a servant. Thankfully, he had noticed Ariella was not aware of the present situation and of his currently anxious disposition.

Ariella took his arm and proceeded down the hallway. She pushed her combed hair away from her face as she followed Merlin down the castle hallway. Nervously she fingered at the soft silken material of her gown as the scenery passed before her and Merlin. This was the first time in two days that she had gone outside of Merlin's quarters and into the castle halls. The walls seemed to close in on her, the dampness of the stones sent chills through her body, and the people… all of these strange people, watching and looking and pointing their fingers at her.

Merlin turned to Ariella beside him, saw her fidgeting with the dress, and grinned, "You look beautiful."

Ariella smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"_She understands beauty,"_ he thought, silently pleased with the revelation.

As they entered through a large pair of wooden doors, Ariella's breath caught in her throat as she looked about the sunlit hall. An immense room supported by columns throughout the way surrounded them on all sides. High windows caught the morning sunlight as people dressed in fine robes and gowns began filing into the grand hall. As more strangers brushed past her, the more Ariella clung to Merlin; and as more people greeted Merlin, the tighter her grip became.

Merlin began to turn to her, but just as he did, an older man with thinning hair approached the two. "Merlin," he began, "is this the girl?"

Merlin regarded the man with a nod of his head. "It is, Sir Hector. This is Ariella," he turned, presenting her, effectively returning the flow of blood through his numb arm.

The soft spoken man known as Sir Hector looked upon Ariella with a slight smile. "So you are the one causing all of the trouble?" He reached his hand up to cup Ariella's chin, but as soon as he touched her skin she started back. Merlin sighed inwardly at her reaction.

Sir Hector glanced back at Merlin with a look of confused shock. "Oh, forgive me, child."

"No," Merlin said, rather impatiently, "it's alright. She is still very wary of strangers. Apparently she did not have a very genuine welcome to Camelot, and unfortunately suffers from a severe case of memory loss."

Sir Hector's face carried a genuine look of sympathy and his eyes spoke more than his words. "After what you have done for me and Arthur, I honestly hope that this meeting ends in your favor. I do know of the difficulties you will face today with your audience here, but if you need me to speak for you, I will do so."

Merlin smiled. "Thank you, Hector," he extended his arm, and Sir Hector took it and held it as a sign of friendship. Sir Hector owed Merlin a great deal. Being the surrogate father of the King himself put him in a high position. And Merlin chose wisely when giving handing Arthur over to him; he was an exceptional father figure to the King.

Ariella's grip on Merlin's arm became even tighter when more people began filing in. "It's alright, child," Merlin whispered, "didn't I promise no harm will come to you?"

Ariella did not seem to hear him; she only looked about the great hall warily, at the strangers that were now steadily making their way to the sides in order to for the center of the hall to remain open. Their voices were becoming louder and more impatient as they continued to wait for their Queen.

"_Always like Lancelot to be late," _Merlin thought, disdainfully.

Finally the crowd began to formally part and become silent as a small procession entered through the grand doors. First, men with arms entered followed by a small band of young, unarmored men. Ariella couldn't help but flinch at the sight, but Merlin softly laid his hand over hers. Cael then entered, walking as well as he could side by side with one of the young men.

Ariella did not flinch but instead could not take her eyes off of the young man walking with Cael. She was immediately struck by his piercing blue eyes set against a handsomely chiseled face and an equally strapping physique. He was just as tall as Cael, with hair dark as a raven's wing, and when he took a quick glance at her; she trembled and quickly shot her eyes down to the floor.

Merlin noticed the young man glancing over at Ariella. "That is Cael's son, Thomas. He is his only son."

Ariella brought her gaze back to eye level, but Merlin quickly added, "But child, you shouldn't stare so much. Only greet," he flashed a quick grin at Cael and his son, "and look away politely."

As soon as Cael and Thomas took their places at the foot of the dais in the center of the hall, they greeted Merlin with a nod and a smile; although Thomas' smile seemed to be only for Ariella. At this, she felt her face turn hot and her whole body trembled.

Fortunately, the rest of the procession had begun to distract her. A small group of young women in fine gowns entered through the doors bunched together, as if they were afraid to be too far away from each other. In the middle of the small cluster of women walked a tall, beautifully dressed woman. Her robes were by the finest Ariella had seen, and her dark hair was beautifully done in soft waves with a small crown circling her delicate head. She walked with dignity and held her head high, as if she could walk right over the other women. She was immediately followed by a broad-shouldered man with long, wavy hair the color of sand. He carried a sword by his side and watched his Queen's every dainty step. Ending the procession were two men in white robes carrying strands of beads in their fingertips, and at their necks hung large wooden crosses.

The Queen climbed the dais and sat at her throne. The throne on her right remained empty as the handsome man following her stood at her left side. Her voice was as clear and soft as flowing water. "Merlin," she began, finding him in the crowd right away, "you have requested an audience with both myself and Sir Lancelot. And you tell me yourself only yesterday that all of this concerns a girl. Why bring Sir Lancelot into this matter and not settle it with me when you had the chance?" Her voice and countenance remained clear but demanding. She was the Queen and she deserved an outright, honest answer. It seemed ridiculous to bring the entire court into a matter concerning a strange and questionable young girl.

Merlin led Ariella to the center of the hall, his hand over hers the entire time. "My lady," he answered, his voice heard over the entire court, "I bring this matter to you, Sir Lancelot, and the whole of Camelot so there are no secrets between anyone here. No questions or whispers. This," he stepped away from Ariella, "is the girl that was brought to Camelot several days ago. She was however, not treated as well as we would have expected." His last statement was directed to Cael's men who showed no reaction. "I have been told she arrived flung over the back of a packhorse, filth ridden. They were going to hand her off like a slave without bothering to ask who she was or where she came from."

The Lady Guinevere eased back into her chair. "Did you see her arrive?"

"No, my lady," Merlin said. "Ianna saw Cael's men bring her in."

Guinevere turned to Cael. "Sir Cael, what do you have to say?"

Cael limped forward with a rather embarrassed look on his face. "My lady, I did lead my men in that day after returning from the south to hear news of our King. We found her in strange clothing hiding underneath a tree in the valley. Forgive me; I suppose we did startle her. When we called for her, she did not come. And she ran when the horses went for her. She did take a bad fall." His voice began to waver. "At the time, I thought there had been... no other way… to bring her here. One of my men tied her to… to the horse he had…" Cael turned to Merlin with a most pitiful face. "Merlin, I am to blame. Perhaps she would not be in this present state if I had taken better care of her-"

"Cael," Guinevere interrupted, "you brought her back?"

Cael straightened. "Yes, my Queen. We brought her in and I left the men to report on news of the King. When I had returned I found Ianna within my company demanding that the girl be handed over to her."

Guinevere looked back over the crowd. "Where is Ianna?"

"Here, my lady." Ianna stepped out of the crowd dressed in a light blue robe. She walked over to Merlin's side. "I wish to plead this case with Merlin."

The Queen smiled coldly. "Why?"

"Merlin has shown great care for the girl. She will only respond to him, in fact, she will panic if he gets too far," Ianna gave Merlin a cocky sideways glance, but continued, "she would not stay in my care; she has no memory and no past, but she clings to Merlin. I do not blame her. I have known Merlin since he was born and is the best man I know to care for this girl."

Guinevere turned to Merlin. "She has no memory?"

Merlin confirmed she did not.

"And no relations?"

None that Merlin knew of. No one had claimed her… yet.

The Queen finally regarded Ariella with a raised brow. After a moment, Guinevere held her hand out. "Come here, child."

Ariella's face turned ash white and she hesitated, but Merlin gently nudged her forward. At this, she took slow, careful steps and kept her gaze at the floor the entire time. She approached the steps to the dais and did not look up until she was commanded to.

"Come closer," the Queen demanded, her arm still extended.

Ariella did as she was told, but was becoming increasingly nervous. When the Queen's hand came to her face to cup her chin, Ariella didn't flinch as she had before; instead she felt every muscle in her body become very tense.

Guinevere didn't say a word as she tilted Ariella's head this way and that. Silence permeated the entire hall as Ariella was inspected by the Queen.

"She's very pretty," she finally said. She released her chin and leaned back into her throne with a sigh. "I do see why it would be inappropriate for a young, unmarried girl to stay in the same quarters with a man. But, this girl is in need of guidance, Merlin. That much is clear." Her voice then became very quiet, so only the few people near her throne could here. "You have served my husband, the King, well. You are a good man, and I only ask that you look after her," she smiled sardonically, "like a pet. You may give her lessons as you see fit. Though I see no reason for it." She made a silent gesture with her hand that commanded Ariella to return to Merlin's side. Ariella readily obeyed. "I ask that you also raise her to be a good, Christian woman; and not at all in the Old Ways."

Merlin bowed. "To this, I readily oblige, my lady."

She smiled again. "Good." She turned to the armed man on her left. "Lancelot, I think this audience is over and done with. Anything else?"

Lancelot shifted. "Sir Hector and your father wish to speak with you."

"I also must discuss other matters with Her Majesty," Merlin interrupted.

"Of course, Merlin." The Queen greeted Sir Hector and father, Lord Lot, as Merlin turned to Ariella.

"Ariella, everything will be alright." He cupped her cheek with his hand, and Ariella only felt warmth flowing through her body. "I must stay here for a while longer with Ianna. Go with Keely, she will take you back to the rooms. You will be fine, I promise you."

The calming spell he released simply by touching her cheek with his hand immediately softened Ariella's stiff composure.

Ianna pulled her aside and motioned for her aide. "Take her back to Merlin's quarters. She seems to have grown somewhat fond of you."

Keely made a slight bow of the head and reached for Ariella. They both did as they were told, but with much more resistance on Ariella's part. Before she left the hall, Ariella took one last look behind her, and saw Thomas watching her leave. Her head felt light, her body became hot again. She rushed out of the hall in a yellow flourish with Keely on her heels.

* * *

Keely had to run to keep up with Ariella, whom really wasn't running at all. "Ariella," she called, "please, calm yourself." She grabbed her arm and Ariella didn't protest. "Wait, you cannot run around the castle halls like this." Keely caught her breath while smoothing out Ariella's yellow folds. "I know I'm supposed to take you back to Merlin's rooms, but there is something I must do first. I forgot to collect Ianna's herbs this morning and must go to the lakeshore before dusk." She continued to smooth Ariella's combed hair. "Please don't say a word. I will be quick. And I do think you need some fresh air."

Of course Ariella didn't say a word, and Keely took her silence as a sort of compliance.

Not wanting to pass by the great hall again, Keely took her hand and led her through a small passageway around the opposite corner. After walking down narrow passages and tight corners of the castle, they stopped in front of a small wooden door at the bottom of a short flight of stairs. Keely turned to Ariella and pressed her finger to her lips. She silently pushed at the door and flung it open with all her might when it had opened halfway.

Bright, yellow sunlight greeted the two young women as Keely stepped out into the open air. She turned to Ariella and held her hand out. "Come on, it's alright. The sun can't hurt you."

Ariella warily stepped out into the light and took Keely's hand. She really did not like to be this far away from Merlin even if Keely was with her. But Keely didn't seem to see the fear in her eyes and didn't care to remain gentle with Ariella; she had to get her herbs before Ianna seriously considered chopping off her dull blonde hair. She pulled the poor girl toward the lake, yet careful to watch where she was stepping when they reached the thick plot of reeds.

"Good thing we're wearing boots," Keely observed, pushing reeds aside. "But you might want to watch the bottom of your gown."

Keely stopped before they reached the very edge of the silver lake. She turned to Ariella and took both of her hands. "Ariella," she said slowly. "You will not lose sight of me. I will be right here. You may do whatever you like. But please, _please_ do not try to run off."

Ariella pulled her hand away and twisted a lock of her black hair around her slender fingers.

Keely sighed. "Alright, I won't be long."

The blonde-haired girl turned and made her way along the relaxed slope of the lakeshore. Ariella looked back to the castle where Merlin was, but she dared not go back alone with all of those men guarding every corner of the castle grounds. For the first time since arriving she was out alone in the open.

Everything seemed so vast and enormous, like the earth below her and the sky high above her would envelop and take her in at any moment.

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Keely was still within her sight. But that didn't keep her from trembling. She wanted to leave now. Why did she let Keely bring her here?

Close to the panic she was so accustomed to, she shot her head around her surroundings looking all around her. For what she didn't know. But she was becoming more and more frantic by the second.

She heard a rustle in the reeds behind her and she turned around with a frightful gasp. A willow tree was encircled with reeds and grass of green, swaying softly with the wind. Then Ariella saw it. She saw a little creature with knobbed limbs and fur growing out of his skin. She was frozen to the spot, her clammy hands were pressed firmly to her stomach; too frightened to scream or breathe. The creature caught sight of her and turned to face her. He had an ugly, squashed face with a long pointed nose. Only three feet tall, he was definitely not human, but the little bundle he carried in his arms was. It was a baby, perhaps only a month old. The creature soon became aware that she had seen the baby in his furry arms and quickly turned and vanished into the willow tree.

Ariella's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped her. She realized with mounting fear that she was the only one who had seen it, Keely was still gathering her herbs. Her knees buckled under her and she fell to the ground with a soft thud.

She struggled to catch her breath, her hands clasped to her chest. What was that? Why was it carrying a baby… just a baby. She whimpered pitifully as she attempted to bring warmth into her frail body, she soon began to look around her frantically again. Where was Merlin? She needed to go back. She needed to be with him, in the castle, where it was safe. Perhaps soon the creature would come back and take her instead –

She gasped and scrambled back as she heard another rustle just behind her. Her breathing came out in short, hurried gasps as her eyes shot back and forth within her line of sight. She couldn't see anything directly, but something or someone was casting a long shadow before her. She couldn't quite see who it was, but she could sense him.

A man of dark, sensual power. She gasped again as she felt cold, soft waves of dark power seep through her. It held her frozen to the spot, but she let it overcome her… it felt wonderful. The seductive power that held her now forced her to her feet and she willingly obliged. She stood and swayed for a moment, relying on the dark currents of energy to hold her up.

A dark silhouette of man with long golden hair that reached to his shoulders looked upon her. He was dressed imposingly and magnificently in black. A most impressive figure… darkly majestic in his appearance. The fading sunlight gleamed in his wild, blond hair and his eyes seemed to pin her to her very being. Fear, certainly, but something else seemed to make her insides shiver. Her heart quickened as she took in the sight of his unearthly beauty. She could not see his face but it did not matter. She felt as if a light were drawing her in, and that light was him.

The strands of magic kept her in his sight and they began to pull at her, forcing her to move towards him. Again, she did not resist. She was completely entranced by this man in front of her.

She wanted to be touched by him, held by him, consumed by him…

"Ariella!"

She heard her name from far away, but she ignored it.

"Ariella!"

No. She wanted to be with him.

"Ariella!"

The voice became louder and she recognized it.

"Ariella!"

Merlin! She blinked only once, turned away and ran in the direction of Merlin's voice and into his arms.

* * *

The dark haired girl sat next to the small fire, bundled in Merlin's enormous, fur-lined robe. It was too large for her, but the sight of her delicate beauty engulfed in his clothing caused Merlin to sigh outwardly. She was his responsibility, he was her caretaker and guardian. He should have been more careful today, much more careful. He shuddered to think what could have happened should he have arrived too late. She would be gone, stolen by him.

Merlin knew who he was. He was the Goblin King. He had remembered reading about him and his goblin minions when he still under the tutelage of Mab's servant, Frik the gnome. He knew what they did, stealing babies for their growing population, taking them to their Labyrinth kingdom. He was also the only cousin of Mab's that he knew of, and despised him already just for that.

Exactly what he wanted with Ariella, he did not know yet, but it terrified and angered him to the core. No one would take her away from him. Not even the King of Goblins.

He rose from his chair and made his way to his work table. Ariella followed him with wary eyes. She knew she had done something wrong, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what.

She was becoming physically sick of that empty feeling of loss she couldn't quite place and had spent the last few hours in a terrible crying fit. Merlin comforted her the whole time and when he felt he could do no more, he immediately called for Ianna to watch after her as he went out onto the castle grounds for a few quiet moments of night air. He had only just returned moments ago. Ariella was much calmer but her eyes were red and swollen from the amount of tears she had shed.

"Ariella," Merlin's gentle voice broke the harsh silence. "I have something for you." He turned to face her and held his hand out. "Come."

Ariella slowly rose from her makeshift bed of pillows and came to Merlin's side, clutching the robe to her frail body.

Merlin reached into a small box and proceeded to pull out a chain made of spun gold suspended between his thumb and forefinger. A single blue gem, the color of the sky at dusk, hung encased in solid gold. It glittered in the firelight as Ariella reached out for it tentatively.

But Merlin drew back. "No," he reprimanded, "this is not for you. This," he said, grabbing a bundle from behind him and holding it up to her, "is for you."

The wrapped bundle gave a quick yelp and squirmed in Merlin's grasp. "Go ahead," he encouraged, noticing Ariella's wary look.

She cautiously reached out and threw back the flap of blanket. A squirmy puppy was buried within the folds of the frayed blanket. Ariella's face lit at the sight of such an adorable creature as Merlin released the puppy into her outstretched hands. She smiled as she clutched the wriggling bundle of creamy white fur to her chest. She laughed quietly as the bright brown eyes became ecstatic with interest, and the tongue that flicked out below the moist black button of the nose to lick her chin was pink and warm.

She gathered the puppy to her chest as he tried to lick her face for a second time. Her eyes met Merlin's for a moment. He saw such happiness and delight in her eyes that there was no need for thanks.

"He will protect you. Keep him by your side always," he reached out to scratch the pup's ear, "and when he's big enough, he can wear his chain of gold."

Ariella cuddled the puppy in her arms as she made her way back to her corner of pillows. Merlin watched her embrace her new gift with awe and affection, and he knew he made the right choice today.

"_Thank you, for your gift, my Lady of the Lake."_

He knew she heard him.

* * *


End file.
